Published:February 10th, 2006 03:44 EST

The Bureau of South Asian Affairs has assumed official responsibility in the State Department for the following diplomatic portfolios: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. As a result, the bureau will now be called The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.

This change is part of the Secretary’s focus on transformational diplomacy and is intended to channel the Department of State's resources to address most effectively the transnational threats and challenges of the 21st century.

In addition to balancing the workload between the regional bureaus, the restructuring is designed to foster increased cooperation among the countries of Central Asia and South Asia as they work towards our shared goals of security, prosperity, stability, and freedom. This move also aims to build on the Central Asian states’ natural partnership with Afghanistan in advancing that country’s democracy and stability.

Source: U.S. Department of State